Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Tip of A Hidden Agenda?

Leading Liberal education advisor and author of the 'no teacher can handle 21 kids' policy, Michael Fullan says that an end to funding Catholic schools will 'have to be addressed'.

Premier Dalton McGuinty today distanced himself from one his key education advisers who suggested Catholic school funding could eventually be eliminated. Education guru Michael Fullan said on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning that the issue of publicly bankrolling any faith-based schools would have to be addressed.“I think eventually that's an issue that should be confronted,” Fullan, who once advised former British prime minister Tony Blair on public education, told CBC’s Andy Barrie.

Given the racism, bigotry and religious discrimination that has seized the Ontario Liberals, what's the betting the party is on the way to a single, secular education system? McGuinty is denying thus far, but his party has shown their true colours on this issue already. He may not have the moral or practical authority to contain the secularist genie he has himself uncorked.

In an interview on CFRA last week, Minister-of-Invented-Portfolios Jim Watson also clearly differentiated between funding what was 'constitutionally required' and discretionary funding of faith-based education. Funding of Catholic schools beyond Grade 8 is discretionary and in the same category as other faith-based schools, according to Watson. Listening to the end of the interview leaves little doubt that Catholics should be aware that their education system is now under threat from a McGuinty government.